


Silver Sadness in the Sky

by fictorium



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Aliens, F/F, Immigration & Emigration, Political Parties, Politics, Protests
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 13:49:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15511230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictorium/pseuds/fictorium
Summary: CatCo is breaking a troubling news story, so Cat comes home to help. It turns out Supergirl needs her more than the newsroom ever could.





	Silver Sadness in the Sky

**Author's Note:**

  * For [samsaragreen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/samsaragreen/gifts).



> Title from Carole King's 'Tapestry'

CatCo breaks the story, and when James calls to give her the heads up on the exclusive, Cat is already summoning her assistant to book the jet. This is going to be beyond anything they’ve handled, and although Cat sold the shares from her trust, she still retains certain executive powers. 

They’re going to need her. 

Besides, her time in Washington is officially up. Seeing out the end of administration has been amongst the hardest things she’s done, transitioning to a President and an administration more interested in their own shouting and wealth than in the governance of the country. 

It’s still strange to come out of her personal elevator and see other people occupying _her_ office. Most importantly, the one person she always allowed in there alone--Kara--is nowhere in sight. Cat strides across in her brand new Jimmy Choos, aware that she’s dressed to kill despite the long flight and the late hour. 

James is on a call, Lena on one of her own, each occupying the sofas that nobody has thought to change. Even if Cat had stayed, she’d have redecorated by now. It’s a terrible thing for a seat of power to stagnate, to stay the same day after day. 

They both end their calls as soon as she steps into the office, but Cat looks to the wall of screens first, before either of them.

“We scooped the Planet, and the Times,” James steps in to fill the silence. “The story’s online and running in all the morning editions, we’ve got new art to release with each one. We broke the first part in primetime, then there’s rolling coverage. And-”

“I wondered,” Cat interrupts. “Exactly how often L-Corp is mentioned in this breaking story.”

“Excuse me?” Lena says. “If you’re accusing me of something…”

Cat walks around her office, stopping at the bar to pour herself a drink. She sits behind the desk, realising the vacuum of power has simply been waiting for her to return and fill it. James has done his best, but some moments in history are too big for regular people to handle. Cat Grant has never been regular people. 

“The first act of President Marsdin’s successor was to implement a ban on all extraterrestrial immigration,” Cat begins, steepling her fingers to avoid looking at either of them. “The story breaking all over _my_ networks right now is that this heinous policy is going to be extended to aliens already living here on Earth. There will be a one-strike policy. Any alien breaking any law will be deported without trial. Forcibly, on the first passing space transport, with no guarantee of safety or its destination. With me so far?”

James tries to interject, but Cat barrels on. She’s used to holding command of a room. 

“Now with so many aliens being able to mimic human features, or living off the grid, law enforcement just wouldn’t be able to enforce such a bigoted law, thankfully. Until a certain CEO stepped up, offering her patented technology to police departments across the country.”

Lena stands, clearly offended. “Cat, while I was happy to step in and take over CatCo-”

“ _Buy_ CatCo,” Cat corrects, but she lets Lena continue.

“That doesn’t change the fact that L-Corp is my primary business. I’ve had the technology ready for over a year, and when my government asked me to serve, I answered that call.”

“That sounds like a more patriotic way of saying ‘simply following orders’, doesn’t it? You really think people deserve to be rounded up and scanned like merchandise? Sent off to planets they might not be safe on? What if this so-called government decides that it’s cheaper to just shoot them on identification? What then?”

“That’s not what I gave them the technology for,” Lena protests. “If they did that, I’d take it back.”

“And I’m sure they’d hand it right over. You did know, I assume, that it’s already been handed over to the army? General Sam Lane personally requisitioned it.”

“What?” Lena does at least look horrified. “I have to… I need to make some calls.”

“Before you do, I have to ask… where is she? In all of this?”

“Who?” James gives a furtive raising of the eyebrows. Interesting, that despite the close friendship, Ms Luthor is still not officially in the know. 

“Supergirl,” Cat says, and she watches James drop his shoulders in relief that Kara hasn’t been outed, one more time. 

“Yes, well, she’s not quite the person we all thought she was,” Lena argues right back, but then Kara’s name flashes up on the screen of Cat’s phone. The call’s coming sooner than she expected, but a glance at the monitors confirms no sign of Supergirl yet. 

“I have to go,” Cat says, firing off a text to her driver. “I want every shady aspect of this law to be exposed, and I want us whipping up public support against it. There are grassroots protests: lend them CatCo’s megaphone, understood?”

James is already on it as Cat takes her leave. Her private elevator is still waiting for her, and she jabs at her phone to call Kara back. Now Cat just needs to know where she is. 

***

“This is… dramatic, even for you.” Cat waits for the reaction, the sharp turn and the gentle crack of the cape. “Really, you couldn’t find somewhere more symbolic? The middle of Otto Binder Bridge would have been too on the nose?”

“I wanted somewhere…” Kara begins, but then the urge to come closer seems to overtake her, the way a surfer who’s missed their moment lets the wave roll over them. Cat doesn’t even see her move, just feels the soft impact and the arms wrapping around her. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Yes,” Cat says after a long moment of luxuriating in that strength, in the one person she hasn’t been able to stop missing in all her time away. “Well, since we’re returning to the scene of my many triumphs. I took CatCo into national syndication from here. And, of course, there was that inspirational speech of yours, I suppose I can take credit for some of that.”

Kara smiles, but the exhaustion has crept back in. Cat tries not to take it personally that her mere appearance no longer buoys Kara for days. 

“You’ve seen the story? I brought it to James, and I-”

There it is, the almost confession. Cat spares her the fumble.

“You reported for as long as you could, Kara. Until our objectivity was too compromised. Even then, it was some of your finest writing. I’d have had you ghostwrite under my name, it was so good. Still, James was right to pull you from the story.”

She watches Kara’s shoulders sag, her head dropping forward to let the curtain of honey blonde hair obscure her face at the realization that Cat does know. Even on the call the lie had been especially hollow - _Ms Grant, I’ve got a message from Supergirl that she needs to see you -_ and it’s mostly relief for them both now not to have to play that game anymore. The time for recriminations will come later, of that much Cat is grimly sure. 

“They’re going to round people up or send them away, just for being different. Just for not being born here. I need to do something,” Kara finally says, and when she stands up straight again, Cat understands in that moment that Krypton didn’t send any old girl to Earth. Whatever they’d call in, in their language of glyphs written under a red sun, this is a princess. When Kara flexes, and the muscles of her arms show in sharp relief beneath the suit, Cat remembers that princess should come with ‘warrior’ attached. 

How lucky Earth is to have her, and still small-minded Leave it to Beaver throwbacks are so scared of anything not exactly like them would banish Kara and everyone like her. Morons.

“What do you need?” Cat asks in turn. Surely Kara knows by now that if it’s in Cat’s power to give--and very few things aren’t--then she’ll have it. 

“I…” Kara lets the thought dissolve into a groan. “I’m not sure. I have an idea of what I want to do, but I need to do it right. It has to be a statement.”

“Kara, promise me you’re not thinking of doing anything stupid.”

“I can literally never promise that, Cat.”

Cat tilts her head and suppresses a smile. “Come on, Supergirl. Out with it.”

“Tomorrow morning, when the first checkpoints go up downtown…”

“Of course you’ve already found out where and when. Little Lane’s help?” Cat can’t help asking. Kara nods in confirmation. 

“I have a plan for how, for what I’m going to do. But it’s important I say the right things first. Will you help me choose the words? I know it should come from me, but it’s too important.”

It’s not really a conscious choice, the way that Cat reaches out for her then. It’s just that there’s still that spark of timid Kara in amongst that regal, superpowered bearing. And once upon a time, Kara had called it a superpower, this ability to sense what she’s feeling and instinctively make her feel better. 

That’s all Cat is trying to do, there in the doorway of the first television studio she ever owned. She’s just trying to make Kara feel better. It’s supposed to be… what? A calming pat on the shoulder, perhaps. That’s what she tells herself. Only she turns her hand at the last moment, and she’s brushing a gentle touch against Kara’s cheek. A touch that Kara leans into, eyes fluttering closed for a moment.

Which isn’t really reason enough to step in closer, or to drag her thumb across Kara’s full bottom lip, but Cat has long since accepted that the rules don’t apply when it comes to this one. 

“I’ll help you,” Cat promises, and it’s barely a whisper. The next move has to be Kara’s, the decision has to be hers now. That headstrong quality of hers comes to the fore then, because she’s kissing Cat before she can even move her thumb out of the way, the first contact of their lips interrupted by its presence.

Then Cat moves her hand, tangling her fingers in Kara’s hair, and they’re kissing for in earnest. 

“Oh,” Kara gasps as the first flurry of kisses tapers off. “Oh, that’s even better than a speech.”

“You sure? I’m told a Cat Grant motivational speech can have quite the effect.”

“It does, but I think I prefer the kissing.” Kara proves her point by diving in for another, and Cat’s only too pleased to return it.

“Why don’t we take this back to my place?” Cat asks, when they pause once more, foreheads pressed together. “If you’ve got a big day ahead tomorrow, we have to make the most of tonight, wouldn’t you say?”

“I’d like that,” Kara agrees, before sweeping Cat up in her arms. “Hope you don’t mind if we take the high road?”

“It’s always been my favorite,” Cat admits, wrapping her arms around Kara’s neck and smiling as they take off into the night sky.

***

It’s just a few sentences, in the end. Cat rearranges and edits the short speech as they lie barely covered by her soft sheets. The words are written on a sheet of her personal stationery, scratched out with her trusty fountain pen, a graduation gift from her father. 

“This will pull focus in the right direction,” she announces, handing the sheet to Kara and taking her reading glasses off with the other hand. “But Kara, don’t go down there alone. You’re assuming they’ll treat you all the same, but they may have containment for Kryptonians. That horrible green stuff you’re so afraid of.”

“Then that’s what they’ll do to me,” Kara replies with a shrug. Her bare shoulders are magnificent as she sits cross-legged beside Cat’s hip. It’s too easy to pull her closer, claim another leisurely kiss. The sun will be up soon. There’ll be alerts to her phone when the alien checkpoints are rolled into position. 

“You’re not going alone,” Cat says, more forcefully this time. “And a live report on CatCo News will make sure the story is told. Even more so if it marks Cat Grant returning to television.”

“Cat, no. There could be protests, maybe even riots. It won’t be safe.”

“It’ll be plenty safe for humans,” Cat scoffs. “Now, do you want to try and sleep? Or maybe a nice long shower would help…”

Kara grins at the mention of the shower, and Cat gives a fond roll of her eyes. “I should have guessed you’d be insatiable.”

“Maybe,” Kara answers, a frown forming on her beautiful face. “Or maybe it’s just the last wish of the condemned woman?”

“Don’t talk like that,” Cat warns, but she already knows it’s pointless. “It might not come to that, Kara.”

They both know that it probably will.

***

Cat takes her place in the news van, sitting in the passenger seat so she can watch Kara flying overhead. Even with slow loops and wide zig-zags, Kara’s so much faster and more powerful than them.

As expected, the first checkpoints have drawn a heavy police and military presence. There are already a healthy amount of protesters, too. Cat watches her camera crew set up with the professionalism she’d expect. She’s the one who’s nervous, clutching her mic pack and wondering why she suggested this after a sleepless night. Her concealer is going to earn its ridiculous pricetag this morning. 

She begins her broadcast with a broadside against Republicans, the police department, and the Luthors. It’s not her best work, but it has enough snark to show that she’s not even in the ballpark of messing around with these people. Not today.

The streets are getting busier as the morning rush hour builds, and Cat can feel the tension in the crowd. There’s no telling who’s alien and who’s human, but the numbered of uniformed men is increasing by the minute. 

This could get nasty.

“Let’s move closer,” Cat instructs the three-man crew. “They might hold back a bit if they know they’re on camera.”

“Cat…” The sound guy points upwards, to where Kara is coming in for a landing.

“Okay, on Supergirl. We miss a second of this and you’ll all be looking for new jobs in the morning.” All three nod, the camera op hoisting his camera back on his shoulder, and the boom mic being moved into position. The photographer is firing off shots already, and Cat wishes she’d brought James instead. 

The lights above the checkpoints switch from green to red. Cat sees the framing of the shot for herself, glad the photographer catches it too. The red lights, Kara’s red cape, the morning sun still climbing beyond.

“I’m here to pass through your checkpoint,” Kara shouts, loud enough to stop most of the milling crowds. “Who’s going to scan me?”

One of the more senior NCPD officers who has been loitering comes scurrying out, trying to lead Kara to one side. She, of course, cannot be moved. 

“I know you have alien detection scanners, so scan me.”

There’s some conferring amongst the soldiers and cops, but eventually they clear a path for Kara to stride through. Cat urges her crew to follow along from the side, so they’ll see Kara emerge on the other side. 

Sure enough, the scanner sets off its alarm, and the restive crowd breaks out in nervous half-cheers. They don’t seem to know if that’s good or bad.

“Move along, Supergirl. The point isn’t detecting aliens, it’s only aliens who’ve broken the law who have to worry.” Cat recognizes the Deputy Chief of Police, who’s never met a camera he didn’t like. 

With a flourish that Cat wishes she’d thought of herself, Kara plucks the police hat from his head and tosses it up in the air. Before it can start to descend again, she incinerates the ridiculous thing with a blast of laser vision. The crowd erupts in half-hearted cheers.

“Destruction of police property,” Kara announces. “Tell me, officer. Is that a crime worthy of being deported? Do I deserve to be sent to a hostile planet where I won’t know anyone? Where I might not speak the language? Where I might be killed on sight?”

“Supergirl-”

“No, I’m really asking. Is someone keeping a ledger? Does every good thing I do for National City give me immunity against a criminal act? Or is it still one strike, even for a so-called model immigrant?”

“If this is how you want to play it, we can arrest you,” the Deputy Chief warns. “Nobody is above the law, and certainly not an alien. You’re only here under our good graces, young lady.” He actually wags a finger in her face.

Whatever Kara says next, in Kryptonian, is clearly some very unhappy language. Similar shouts go up in alien tongues from every corner. There’s a surge in the crowd now. Cat can feel them roiling behind her. She tucks into the midst of her crew, protecting herself.

“I’m an alien,” Kara says, offering up her wrists. “So arrest me. And explain to the people why there’s no Supergirl to save them next time disaster strikes.”

“And me,” a dark-skinned man that Cat recognizes steps up behind Kara. There’s a glimmer, and suddenly he’s taller, greener. A Martian. He holds his wrists up in the same fashion. “Hank Henshaw, DEO. I have some unpaid parking fines.”

“Me too,” says a young soldier, breaking rank and removing her camouflage helmet. When she reveals herself, it’s clear she’s only a child, shorter even Carter. “I jaywalked coming to work this morning.”

It’s not enough, Cat can see that now. This can still be spun, they’re admitting to crimes no matter how minor. Criminal is a term that can do all the damage. It’s going to take some support. 

She drops her mic and strides across the plaza toward them. 

It’s almost insulting that they scan her, but the negative result does nothing to slow Cat down.

“Cat Grant. Alien. Serial killer.”

That gets a gasp from the crowd.

“Miss Grant, please-”

“No, if we’re going to abandon due process entirely, why does the truth suddenly matter? If you take them, you take me with them.”

“Don’t forget me,” Alex Danvers steps up, dropping her weapon on the ground. “Alex Danvers, Director of the DEO. I brought my own cuffs, if that speeds things up.”

The crowd takes the hint then. There’s a scent of blood in the water. In a cacophony of shouts they all declare themselves aliens, lawbreakers, ready for deportation. They swarm the uniforms, outnumbering the police and the army by at least six to one. It’s solidarity in action, and Cat is glad to be helping to lead them. 

She reaches for Kara. “It’s working,” she says quietly, almost drowned out by the crowd. “The people, they’re coming through. They know this is wrong.”

“I’m still willing to do this. If they take me-”

“They won’t, not now.” The loudspeaker crackles into life. 

_This checkpoint is closed. There will be no scans performed here today. Please disperse from this area._ _Repeat: disperse from this area._

It’s a win, at least in the first round. The crowd breaks out in real cheers this time, and people are singing as they hug either friend or stranger alike. Kara has options, of course, but Cat has never been one to wait in line. She hurls herself into Kara’s arms, and the kiss is a nice surprise. Apparently they’re going public. Well, at least it’ll be another CatCo exclusive.

“ _Supergirl_?” Alex says from somewhere behind them. “What the f-”

“Agent Danvers,” Cat spins around to greet her. “Sorry, Director Danvers. Congrats on the promotion.”

“Never mind the promotion, what do you think you’re doing with my s… superpowered colleague?”

“Later, Alex,” Kara says with a groan. “This isn’t over. They won’t give up this easily every time.”

“Then we’ll be there, waiting,” Cat promises. “We’ll organize a resistance, we’ll show up in numbers whenever we’re needed. It’ll be CatCo’s newest social justice initiative, providing legal services and safe protesting workshops. We’ll teach people their rights, and how to protect themselves. Provide supplies for protest signs… whatever’s needed.”

“That’s… amazing,” Kara says. “I mean, it won’t solve everything but it might get more people involved.”

“You were ready to give up your home and family. Again.” Cat turns back to her, squeezing Kara’s hand. “It’s the least I can do. I won’t let anyone take a planet from you again. Certainly not some bigots who won’t share their wealth and luck.”

“Huh.” Alex sounds impressed, but that’s not why Cat is doing this. 

“So what do you say, Supergirl?” Cat asks, the crowd starting to calm and move off to begin their working day. “Since you’re staying here on Earth, why don’t we try and improve it? Or this country, at least.”

“Together?” Kara looks almost uncertain, more nervous than she did about taking on the police and army. 

“Together,” Cat agrees, and what better way to seal it than with yet another kiss? 

“Okay, come on,” Alex protests after it lasts a little too long. “You’re not going to save anyone by making out, you know.”

Alas, she does have a point.

“Come on then,” Cat says, leading Kara back toward her news team and their van. “Let’s go start saving the world.”

 


End file.
